Effect of Supplementation of Ascorbic Acid and Amla Powder on Hematobiochemical Parameters in Crossbred Dairy Cows

An experiment was conducted to compare the effect of ascorbic acid and amla powder in crossbred dairy cows in terms of changes in hemato-biochemical parameters during summer season viz. June to August. Twelve dairy cows were randomly divided into three groups of four animals each viz; T₀ (control), T₁ (ascorbic acid supplemented at the rate of 50 mg/kg body weight) and T₂ (amla powder supplemented at the rate of 200 mg/kg body weight). Haemoglobin, packed cell volume (PCV), total protein (TP) and plasma sodium were significantly (P<0.05) lower in T₀ (8.41 g%, 29.02%, 7.35 g/dl, 126.00 mmol/L) than in T₁ (9.77 g%, 32.96%, 8.34 g/dl, 132.93 mmol/L) and T₂ (10.10 g%, 33.43%, 8.55 g/dl, 138.23 mmol/L). Plasma glucose, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine amino-transferase (ALT) and aspertate amino-transferase (AST) values were significantly increased (P<0.05) in T₀ in comparison to T₁ and T₂. Both ascorbic acid and amla supplementation produced similar hemato-biochemical changes related to heat stress in dairy cattle. It is concluded that amla powder can be used as a supplement in dairy cows during summer to reduce heat stress.